Meet the 12 breakout designers from around the globe that you need to know now

Born-and-bred New Yorker Jonathan Simkhai, 25, is all about tomboys with sex appeal. "I design for the girl that's willing to take a risk with untraditional, androgynous pairings. I find something unbelievably and effortlessly sexy about a girl in good menswear," says Simkhai, who debuted his eponymous collection for spring 2011. His cool downtown silhouettes are inspired by both the avant-garde designs of Rick Owens and the classicism of Ralph Lauren.

The Hot List

The Hot List

"Throughout the design process, I kept imagining a girl stuck at a country estate who discovers a trunk of classic, vintage pieces and incorporates them into her life. My girl favors menswear and adds a twist of femininity through 1950s country silhouettes," Simkhai says. He toughened up a classic circle skirt in leather and edged up a striped pencil skirt by layering a cardigan over a leather bra-top.

"Right now I am really inspired by the film Coco Before Chanel. Especially the scenes where Coco steals her lovers' or the gardener's clothing and transforms the über-masculine pieces into soft, feminine looks instantly. The way that she carries herself wearing these outfits creates a feeling of confidence and sex appeal that I am drawn to."